I recently finished knitting this brown wool vest. The pattern, called Splitstone by designer Alicia Plummer. is available on Ravelry. I used Rowan’s pure worsted wool made in England that I purchased at Fibre Space – a Yarn Universe in Alexandria, Virginia. If you haven’t been to this wonderful indie store yet, you need to make a trip. It is just a short Metro trip from Washington DC or any of the surrounding area if you are visiting. If you are a knitter, you will find yourself in paradise at Fibre Space!

This vest is knit bottom-to-top in the round. I used US 6, 29″ needles for the ribbing and US 7, 29″ needles for the body, to obtain the 20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches gauge. The torso is shaped starting where the bottom ribbing ends.

After I was finished knitting, I washed and blocked my vest. I purchased these blocking mats and pins at Fibre Space.

What I love about this vest is that it is a fitted pattern, knit to fit my curves and it extends to my hips. It fits me so well, it adds just the right amount of warmth for a cool autumn day or evening. The deep chocolate brown goes with so many pieces in my fall wardrobe. It matches my favorite food, chocolate, perfectly. So I do not have to worry about staining my new vest. Of course, if any food gets on my wool vest, I wash it immediately with Soak wash. This is the best rinse-free laundry soap for delicate items, like woolens and lingerie. I buy Soak at Fibre Space in Alexandria, Virginia.

I wore this vest often as an extra layer during windy days in Provence. I love it over the bodysuits I’ve been sewing using Madalynne’s bodysuit, Simplicity 8435. More about these in an upcoming post. Here I am in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in my natural habitat, which is…you guessed it, eating and drinking chocolate in a tea salon.

And now it is lunchtime in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. If it wasn’t for my husband, you would find me at a patisserie or boulangerie indulging in another round of sweets, but instead we are eating pates au saumon fume, which I also love. Apparently, per my husband, the four food groups are not cake, candy, ice cream and cookies.

Yes, another dessert… mousse au chocolat…this matches my vest!

The courtyard of the stone house, Les Deux Cypres, in Sanilhac, near Uzes.

Bonjour from southern France! I just finished sewing this tailored shirt using Simplicity 1538, view B. This was the first time that I’ve made a shirt from this pattern and I am so pleased with the results. This is a great pattern for a fitted shirt. I’ve already purchased fabric to make it again!

The fabric I used was from my stash; I purchased it last year at Fabric Outlet (or online at Califabrics) in San Francisco. I like this all-cotton fabric because it goes well with wool vest that I was knitting, as well as other pieces in my wardrobe. I just finished knitting this wool vest and I love how it looks with my new shirt.

I started out by making a muslin. The only alteration I made was to shorten the arms by two inches. Making a muslin takes extra time, but what I love about the process, besides the fact that the final product fits perfectly, is that the muslin fabric pattern pieces will last forever and I can use them over and over again to make a custom-fit garment.

Below is the muslin piece for the front of the shirt. I always cut the perimeter of my muslin pieces wide, about 2 – 3 inches, to allow for any modifications to the fit. Once I determine the sewing lines, I use a compass to draw a 5/8″ seam allowance and then I cut along that line.

This is the sleeve piece, modified by shortening.

All of the seams are flat-felled seams. I think the inside of this shirt looks as nice inside as it does on the public-facing side.

The flat-felled seam attaching the sleeve to the body was the most difficult and lots of pins enabled me to make a nice seam on the first pass.

The collar and collar stand were easy to attach.

The collar, yoke, front plackets, and cuffs are all top stitched.

I used buttons that I bought at a tag sale.

Here’s the back of the shirt. There is just a bit of gather in the middle.

Hot off my sewing machine! I just finished a partial-band bra and pantie set made from black stretch galloon lace and fushia powernet that I purchased a few months ago at the Fabric Outlet in San Francisco. I love the way these two fabrics look together and both are easy to sew. The plush strap and picot elastics, hook and eye closures and the rings and sliders are from the Tailor Made Shop. This is shop always provides the highest quality products. I love how this new bra and panties set look!

I made the bra first. I drafted this partial-band bra pattern starting with a Pin-up Full Band Bra pattern by Beverly Johnson, aka The Fairy Bra Mother, that fits me well. Next I modified this pattern specifically for using scalloped lace.

The key to success with a lace bra is in getting the lace placed just right on the cups, bands and bridge. Lace placement is critical so that the bra looks symmetrical; the lace on one side of the bra should mirror the other. When sewing lace on to a lining, it tends to shift around and therefore the lace and lining need to be sewn together before the piece is cut. To start, I cut the pattern pieces from the lining, which is powernet in this case, and use these pieces as the pattern for the lace. Next, I pin the powernet pieces over the galloon lace so that they are in just the right position. I roughly cut out the lace, sew 1/4″ around the powernet pattern, attaching the lace to the powernet. Once I confirm that the placement of the lace and powernet are attached correctly, I cut the lace around the powernet pattern.

These are the lower cups and the lace placement is just as critical on these as it is on the upper cups; cups must mirror each other from top to bottom

It’s a bit of work to get the lace around the top of the bra, consistently of the upper cups, bridge and strap attachments, to line up perfectly. The lace on the top of the bridge has to line up perfectly with the lace on the upper cups, as does the lace on the strap attachment pieces. Keep in mind that there are also 1/4″ seam allowances to account for. Again, the trick to getting the lace placed just right on the bridge is to place the bridge pattern piece on a larger piece of lace to get it in the right position. Then use the “stitch and flip” method to attach a similar dimension of the powernet. Sew both sides of the bridge, and then cut out bridge piece. This process keeps the pieces stable and in exactly the right placement, prior to cutting. I have more pictures detailing lace layout for the upper cup in a previous post on making a lace bra .

I used the same method for cutting out the lace band pieces.

Lace is place on the bottom band accounting for 1/4″ seam allowances – the low point of the lace, called the LOPL, ends at the seam allowanceI designed this strap attachment piece specifically for scalloped lace; this piece joins the upper cup to the bra strap

I used the same method to cut the lace and line the strap attachment piece as I did for the bridge piece. The lace along the top of the bra lines up nicely.

Note how the lace at the top of the bra looks like one piece from one strap to the other

The inside of the bra looks clean and neat. Yes, that is a paw. Kitty, Sophie, does a quality assurance inspection of the bra as each step is finished.

Next I made the panties. I used Kwik Sew K2325, view A, for pattern.

I cut a XS pantie, view A, for the pantie. I did a bit of design modification to create an illusion of one piece of the scalloped edge of the galloon lace across the top of the pantie.

This is the wrong side. showing how the front piece is attached to two side pieces, both of which have the galloon lace on top of the powernet

I created the lace portions of the panties in the same method as for the bra. I cut the powernet pattern pieces and then determined the correct placement on the lace, sewed the powernet pieces onto larger lace pieces and then cut the lace and powernet pattern piece.

This is the back of the pantie where I used the scalloped edge of the galloon lace to create a border at the top to match the front of the pantie.

Right side of the back of the pantie

I used cotton knit for the crotch lining, exactly the same color as the powernet. I used the “burrito method” to attach the crotch lining, and this is described in the pattern instructions.

And finally, a back view of the bra and pantie set.

Thank you for reading through my review of these patterns and descriptions of how I made this bra and pantie set. Now on to garment sewing! I’ll be making a few bodysuits and a blouse before we head off on our trip to France!

After a summer of sewing for other people and for our new home, I decided it was time to make a dress for myself. I love gingham and I thought that Butterick B6446, a dress with a large sash tied in a bow in the front, would be the perfect match for this lovely light blue gingham fabric that I bought recently at the Fabric Outlet in San Francisco.

I made view B. I made a muslin first and I am really glad I did because I made some enhancements to the fit. I shortened the left panel of the bodice, lengthened the bodice and added curve to the bodice sides. The muslin dress ensured fit before I cut the gingham and began construction. The result is a dress that fits me really well and is very comfortable. An added bonus to making a muslin is that I now I have fabric pattern pieces that I can use to make this dress again and they will hold up well for years. Making the muslin took time and thankfully I really enjoyed the process and the end result.

I lined the entire dress with a white cotton, also from the Fabric Outlet. I followed the instructions to line the bodice. This skirt is unlined, however it seemed odd to line just the bodice and not the skirt. So I matched the pattern for the skirt lining exactly to that for gingham skirt. Other sewists used the skirt pattern for view A (no pleats in the skirt of this version) to cut the skirt lining. I may try this when I make this dress again. In order to perfectly match the gingham at back zipper, I sewed in the zipper in by hand using a prickstitch.

At the same time that I was making this dress, I bought a new camera! Thanks to Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow I learned that some sewing bloggers actually take their own pictures! I don’t know why this was such an “ah ha” moment for me, but it was. So I decided one day to play around with the camera and take a few pictures of my new dress. Gillian has tons of great information on photography for sewists. Visit her blog posts on photography at Better Pictures Project.

It was a beautiful day yesterday, perfect for visiting a local park.

This is a great dress pattern and one I will definitely make again. But now it is time to focus on my next project.

I went out to Omaha a few months ago to help my twin sister as she recovered in the hospital and at home from surgery. While I was there, she mentioned that she was not able to find a nice bathrobe to replace the kimono-style silk robe that her husband bought her years ago. This was a perfect opportunity for me to make her a new robe! So I took her old silk robe back to my sewing studio in California and used it to draft a pattern. At the same time, the Fabric Outlet was having one of their awesome sales and I picked up some fabulous cotton fabric made in Japan! If you are not in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can order fabric from Fabric Outlet’s Cali Fabric site. One hint, when you see something you like at the Fabric Outlet, buy it, as it may not be there the next time you visit.

Making these kimono robes was a win-win for both me and my twin – she has a new robe and I have a great pattern, in two lengths and two chest widths, that I’m sewing again and again. They are perfect for both women and men. Once I finished drafting the pattern, I made a mock-up of the kimono robe, documented the steps to sew the robe, and incorporated continuous process improvements as I make each robe. I’ve sewn four kimono robes so far. I love them all! Here is a picture of me wearing one made from a substantial cotton seersucker fabric with purple and white stripes, from the Fabric Outlet.

I finished the edges with bias tape, except on the pockets where I used my overlocker. I think these robes looks just as nice on the inside as they do on the outside.

This is the shorter version. One thing I love about this pattern is the shorter sleeves. They don’t get in the way when I am cooking breakfast the way longer full sleeves do, which are common on RTW kimono robes.

The longer version is nice, too.

An internal tie keeps it all togetherA loop to hang the robe is handy

Next, I’ll make a kimono robe from silk, and also more from Japanese cottons. The Fabric Outlet has lots of beautiful silks and cottons and they are always getting interesting fabrics in from various parts of the world. I can’t wait until my next fabric-buying trip!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this pattern and these kimono robes. What improvements would you suggest? Thank you for visiting and reading about my latest makes!

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Nothing says summer like peach cobbler made from fresh peaches, warm from the oven and served with vanilla bean ice cream! I make this cobbler many times each summer when peaches are in season – it is so simple to make and the results are delicious.

Fresh Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon

Serves 6

Hands-on Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 20 – 25 minutes at 400 degrees F

Ingredients for Filling

4 cups of fresh peaches, sliced (about 5 large peaches)

1/3 cups of sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 water

Ingredients for Biscuit Topping

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

3 T. cold butter

1 egg, beaten

3 T. milk

3 T. turbinado or white sugar, for sprinkling

Preparation

Cobbler can be made in an 8″x8″x2″ glass pan or a shallow glass dish of the same size, such as a pie dish.

Start by making the filling. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch peaches and water. Stir and cook until thickened and bubbly. Keep the filling warm while preparing the topping.

For the topping, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk. Cut the butter into small cubes and add on top of the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until the butter is incorporated and resembles crumbs. Mix the egg and milk together in a cup and add to the flour mixture. Stir until the dough is just moist.

Transfer the peaches to the baking dish. Spoon the topping in six mounds atop the hot filling. Sprinkle with turbinado or white sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

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This cake is light and moist with raspberries and vanilla. It is delicious any time of day and throughout the year. It is not too sweet and great for brunch. The aroma as it bakes is heavenly! If fresh raspberries are not available, frozen raspberries can be used with great results. This recipe was published in Bon Appetit magazine a few years ago. I promised this cake recipe for our favorite French bed and breakfast owner, Isabelle Voit, who owns and runs Chateau de Degres, a lovely chateau and farm located 20 minutes drive north of Toulouse. The property is crossed by one of the routes to Saint Jacques de Compostelle, known also as the Camino de Santiago. I’ll write more about the chateau and the Languedoc region of France in the travel section of this blog this Fall. Now let’s get on with the recipe for this cake!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake

Serves 8

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 55 minutes at 350 degrees F

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray, such as Pam

Parchment paper for baking

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 t. baking powder

¾ t. salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups (425 gram container) full-fat ricotta cheese

1 t. vanilla extract

½ cup butter (same as one stick of butter), melted and cooled

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, divided into 1-1/2 cups and ½ cup

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle of the oven.

Line a 9” springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom and sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray to prevent cake from sticking to pan.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add melted and cooled butter and mix well. Fold this batter into the dry mixture until just blended. Fold in 1-1/2 cups of raspberries, taking care not to crush berries. Scatter the remaining ½ cup of raspberries over the top of the cake batter.

Bake the cake until golden and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 50 – 60 minutes. Let the cake cool about 30 minutes before unmolding. The edges will be a deep brown and caramelized. This cake keeps well at room temperature for about 3 days.

This week I made my first lace underwire bra! I learned two new techniques in the making of this bra and the earlier prototype bra, which I refer to later in this post. First, I altered a full-band Pin-up Girls bra to make a partial band bra that fit me. Second, I used rigid lace for the cups and the sides of the band. This lace bra was a fun pieces of lingerie to make – I know there are many more lace bras in my future!

I recently made two bras using the Pin-up Girls Full Band bra pattern from the Fairy Bra Mother, Beverly Johnson. They turned out really well – both in fit and form. I’ve never had bras that fit so well. I love them!

Next, I followed Beverly’s instructions for drafting a partial band bra and I made a prototype bra from a stretch satin and power net that I found at an estate sale (yes, I’ve found some great material at estate sales here in the San Francisco Bay Area!). This prototype turned out well, too, except that the band was a bit too long. I knew that when I made the bra again, I would need to reduce the length of the band by one inch overall. Everything else about the fit was spot-on.

Partial Band Mockup Bra

So when I gathered the pattern pieces for this lace partial band bra, I knew that I needed to do three modifications, as follows:

First, I divided the band in two parts, one part for the rigid lace and the other part for powernet. Next, I reduced the length of the band by one half inch on each side to make one inch reduction in the overall circumference. This is the drafted pattern pieces for the band.

This is the band with the seam finished with a tricot bias tape that I made. More about how I finished the seams later in this post.

Finally, I had to alter the upper portion of the cup to remove an attachment for the shoulder bands, which would be strap elastic and not the rigid lace. Here is a picture of the altered top cup.

Because this was my first lace bra, and a mockup, I used a sample of lace that I purchased at an estate sale. This was the same estate sale where I purchased the black materials for the prototype bra. I happened upon an estate sale one day this spring while taking a walk in my neighborhood. The previous owner of the home had many lace samples – it appeared that she was a wedding dress designer. This is a picture of the lace sample.

I had very little of the scalloped edge to use for the top of the upper cup, so I knew I had to be very careful how I laid out the upper cups. Note that the low point of the lace scallop was 1/4″ (seam allowance is 1/4″) in from the edge of the cup so that the Low Point of Lace (LOPL) is at the edge of the cups. I positioned the patterns for each cup in a manner so that the cups matched each other. This lace design did not allow me to mirror the cups.

I lined the bra with a very shear tricot from my stash. I used the “stitch and flip” method to attach the lining to the top of the cup, avoiding lining on the top of the scallops.

I also made some bias tape from this lining and covered all of the seams inside the bra. I really like the way it turned out. Just as pretty on the inside as on the outside.

In the next post, I will write about the panties, which were made using a Kwik Sew pattern, and the same lace as the bra. Thank you for reading about the making of my first lace bra!

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Okay, I am not food blogger or a food photographer at all. I am new to blogging; today is my 2-week anniversary of blogging. I’m posting this AMAZING waffle recipe now because it is absolutely the best waffle recipe EVER! It is easy to make and extra waffles freeze well, meaning this: if you don’t eat all of these waffles when you make them and have leftovers, you can freeze them and have yummy waffles before you run off to the office on a workday. I want everyone to try this recipe to add more happiness to your life for a small cost of ingredients and just a few minutes of your precious time.

I love this recipe because in addition to the results, amazing waffles, you make them the night before, store the batter in the refrigerator, and in the morning, add the baking soda, stir and bake the waffles! Imagine waking up and 15 minutes later, you are EATING THE BEST WAFFLES EVER! And it cost you almost nothing to make!

This recipe is from the one-and-only Marion Cunningham. I’ve played around with the recipe a bit to reduce the butter, just a bit. I’ve also added vanilla.

Ingredients:

1 (1⁄4-oz.) package active dry yeast

2 cups milk (I use Fat Free or Low Fat Lactaid Milk)

5 – 6 T, unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for serving

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla (best quality – I use Nielsen-Massey)

1⁄4 tsp. baking soda (do not add this until the next morning)

Maple syrup, for serving

Method:

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup luke warm water and add the sugar. Stir gently. Set aside until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes. It will look like this – see picture below and ignore the spoon, (which shows me adding ingredients in the next step). This is is a good time to melt the butter in 30 second increments in the microwave. Make sure it is cool before adding in the next step.

This was my first time using a Butterick pattern by Gertie. I followed Gertie’s Butterick pattern 6031 to make a chemise and panties from sheer stretch mesh and stretch lace. They turned out really pretty, don’t you think?

I made the chemise, which is a modified variation of version C, and the panties, version D, in a few afternoons of sewing. Version C is a slip and I altered the pattern to add a bit of flare, to shorten the length and to remove the slit of lace at the hem line, resulting in a pretty chemise. I used a stretch mesh that I purchased at the Fabric Outlet on Mission St. in San Francisco. Isn’t it beautiful? I also purchased the 1-1/2″ stretch lace for the bodice and neckline at this store. I purchased the lace for the front of the straps at JoAnn’s. The back of the straps are bra straps from my stash. I used a 2.5 mm length zigzag stitch for the entire project, with the exception of the darts and the lettuce edging.

This is version C is a slip and I altered the pattern to add a bit of flare, to shorten the length and to remove the slit of lace at the hem line. Instead of lace at the bottom of the chemise, I added a lettuce edge using my serger. I like this look better than the lace for a chemise.

This is the first time I’ve made a lettuce edge and I like the way it turned out. It was easy to do and I think it looks very feminine. I like the way this chemise moves and flows when worn. It would be pretty as a long gown.

One thing I didn’t like about this pattern was that the straps are to be made from 1/2″ stretch lace, which would not hold up well, in my opinion. I made the straps more sturdy by sewing in 1/4″ elastic on the inside of the lace and using adjustable bra straps in the back. This keeps the straps pretty in the front, and reinforced, and flat, in the back. These modifications will help this chemise stand up to wear over the years.

Next, I made the panties that are version D in this pattern. I used a black knit cotton to line the crotch. They were a breeze to make! Since they are hidden by the chemise, I will make a camisole of the same fabric and lace to go with these panties.

I used my serger again to do the lettuce edges. This style is great under a skirt or dress where elastic around the legs isn’t necessary.

This is a size medium. The fit is just right.

Butterick 6031 is a great pattern and I highly recommend it for everyone. With some pretty fabric, any sewist can have a beautiful chemise, slip or camisole and matching panties in no time at all!

I recently made two bralette and panty sets using Simplicity 8228. This fabulous pattern was designed by Madalynne “Maddie” Flanigan. I also have her other pattern, Simplicity 8229, which is an underwire bra and panty. I am really looking forward to making these. If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to make intimate apparel using Maddie’s patterns, you really should give these a go. Maddie has tons of information on her website Madalynne. On her site, you’ll find video tutorials, helpful information on lingerie making, including in-person classes, and lots of beautiful lace and kits for bra and panty-making, plus loads inspiration. She has three patterns releasing soon, also with Simplicity. I can’t wait!

I purchased the material and galloon lace for these sets from the the Fabric Outlet on Mission Street in San Francisco. This is one of the first fabric stores I visited when I moved to the Bay Area and I love it! On top of having lots of fabulous fabrics and lace at great prices, and sometimes on sale, they have really nice folks to help you, too.

The pink mesh is a bit more transparent than this picture shows. The stretch black galloon lace that I used is 6″ in width. The pattern calls for 8″ width, but for the bralette size that I made, which was a 36C, I was able to use this smaller width galloon. I suggest that you lay out all of your pattern pieces prior to cutting to confirm you have enough lace.

The lining used for the bralette, above, and for the main part of the panty, is white with dots. This stretch galloon lace is 7″ wide.

This is the pattern I used for both sets and I highly recommend this pattern. The pattern pieces and construction are well-designed and the instructions are clear. The bralette and panties come together very quickly.

I did not use the spray adhesive that the designer, Maddie, recommends; instead I cut out the lace and basted it onto an uncut piece of lining. Once attached, I confirmed that the pieces all fit together correctly and then I trimmed down the lining to match the lace. This was all very easy.

Before trimming the lining, I made sure that the pieces lined up correctly.

I used standard 1/4″ black elastic on the inside edges of this bralette.

There are no straps on this halter-style bralette, resulting in fewer pieces and an easier sew than sewing a standard bra. I used standard 1/4″ black elastic on the inside edges of this bralette. Before sewing on the elastic, make sure that the hooks and eyes pieces are the same size as the area where they will attach on the bra straps. If not, you will need to alter (cut) the straps.

I really like the design of the panties, and how the lace meets in the back.

The best part about these intimate sets is that they are so comfortable to wear, especially during the hot summer. It’s also fun to have the lace visible at the back of the neck. I love this pattern and I’m sure I’ll be making it again many times!

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I am an electrical engineer and I love to sew, bake and knit. I teach sewing and I do custom sewing for clients. I recently discovered the magic of making bras and lingerie and it has completely changed my life! I also love France and all things French, all kinds of lace and the color pink. Jolirose is a combination of French words, “joli” is pretty and “rose” is pink, which together describe what I like to make. Thank you for visiting my site!